I make pizza very often at home, atleast once in a month! Aj just loves it. Vj is not a big fan. I too love pizzas, be it ordered or homemade. If its left over, I will also eat (and feel guilty later). If any kids come home, I just make this and they too love it. This pizza dough recipe is such a keeper. I have been using this same until now. Same as in my first homemade pizza and in the paneer tikka pizza . It comes out perfect and the measurements are so precise. Soft and stays soft even after cooling down and above all homemade!

This spicy pizza is an inspiration from pizza hut’s Spicy veggie pizza. Vj likes Dominos pizza, but Aj loves only pizza hut pizzas. So Vj’s choice will be this spicy veggie pizza. Though its different from the one I tried, the concept of using chilli and zucchini, I grabbed from that. They use a spicy sauce with thai red chilli padi. But I used as topping and used cayenne pepper. Its not too spicy, but its mildly spicy. And I have tasted zucchini in my life first time only in the spicy veggie pizzas and loved it. So I thought of trying at home. Zucchini and cheese are made for each other and goes well with pizzas. Now a days I am sure in India also we get these zucchini. Sometimes we get colourful zucchini here – green, red and yellow. I used green. So when you are making for kids, you can use the colourful zucchini together in pizzas to make it appealing.

For topping

Method

In a bowl, mix flour, salt and yeast. Mix milk and water and heat it just luke warm. Dissolve sugar in it. Now add this milk and olive oil to the flour and mix.

Make a smooth dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Keep aside covered with a cling wrap. Preferably in a warm place. I keep inside the oven with oven light ON. After an hour or 1 & 1/2 hour, the dough would have doubled and risen.

Preheat the oven to 200 deg.C . Get the toppings ready. Knead again the dough smoothly and in a well floured surface, roll out into thick pizza (dust the surface generously if sticky). Just make the sides like a rim. Transfer this to a well greased and sprinkled with some flour pizza pan.

Spread pasta sauce inside the rim and spread some half of the grated cheese, I used mixed cheese.

Arrange the toppings as desired in pattern or just toss the toppings here and there and cover with the remaining grated cheese.

Bake for 14 - 15 minutes in a preheated oven until the cheese melts and pizza turns golden in colour. The pizza should move freely in the pan, with which you can check if its cooked perfectly.

Notes

I used instant yeast – which has to be mixed with the flour and kneaded.. But if you are using other yeasts, you have to dissolve the yeast in luke warm milk in step 1. Keep the yeast solution for 5 minutes so that it will become frothy. This ensures the yeast is active. If it has not become frothy even after 10 mins, then you yeast is not good enough to bake. So do not proceed making pizza, otherwise you may end up in hard pizzas or smelly pizzas.

Do not skip sugar.

You can use 50 50 wheat flour and all purpose flour too.

Water quantity is approximate and just use it as only a guidance and adjust accordingly.

The dough should be soft and pliable and not stiff to get a soft pizza.

Feel free to use your own toppings.

More cheese = more tasty, but do not overload, otherwise, centre of the pizza will be looking white and gooey.

Do not roll too thick, remember, the dough will rise a bit while baking too.

Here we go with homemade soft and delicious pizza that will melt in your mouth and kids would love each and every bite of it.

Pizza looks amazing! You do punch the dough and then spread it out right? Sometimes i fill cheese in the rim and fold it in...Thats even more yummy!!! Great clicks Raks, I love zucchini as a vegetable as it can be easily cooked/roasted!

Your pizza dough recipe is a keeper, I vouch for it! We tried making a double cheese margherita this weekend and I rolled out my base using my hands. Did it much thinner than yours...it was amazing! My hubby liked it so much that he wanted to do it again on Monday...although I must say, my dough never doubled or rose. My yeast is pretty fresh too. Planning to try again letting the yeast rise first before mixing it in the flour.

Raks, Nice recipe , I tried it once and the taste was real good.. However, the base was not cooked properly in the middle and the edges became brown and crispy. Can you please tell me if there is any specific mode that we should use for baking / cooking. I see that we have grill, fan grill, fan bake in my oven. Please suggest.

i am from Chennai ... is it possible to make good pizza in microwave oven ... do i need any special equipment (i read some where pizza stone is needed) if that is the case where can i get those equipment in Chennai .... do i need any change in recipes for microwave...

You, my lady, are a gem! I've been using ready made pizza bases since long and the result was good but never like Domino's. I tried your recipe last night and nd believe you me it was better than even Domino's. Thanks and nd bunch.

Grease the tawa well with oil or butter. Place the dough rolled over the tawa and arrange the pizza. Put in lowest flame possible. Cook covered with a lid until the base turns golden. Do not make too thick crust.